George Baldessin is still regarded as one of Australia’s preeminent artists. During his short but influential lifetime, he was considered on par with Brett Whiteley, with both artists eschewing the dominant mode of abstraction in favour of lyrical, figurative imagery. Etching, for Baldessin, represented a field of innovation free from the physical and financial restraints of sculpture.

Baldessin’s Personage and Entrances series extends his fascination with the human figure as both subject and actor. The “personage” appears caught in moments of transition—stepping through thresholds, framed by doorways, or poised at the edge of visibility—in this case casting a fleeting glance during a moment of preparation in a mirror. The mirror, an “entrance,” serves as a metaphor for both exposure and concealment, drawing the viewer into the charged drama of encounter while simultaneously dividing and obscuring the composition.

The etching is celebrated for its compositional tension, balancing distortion with an underlying humanity. Technically bold and conceptually ambitious, Personage and Entrances offers collectors the chance to secure a work from one of Baldessin’s most significant and recognisable themes—compositions that remain highly sought after in both private and institutional collections of modern Australian art and printmaking.

George BALDESSIN (1939 - 1978)
'Personage and Entrances' 1974
coloured etching and aquatint on paper (diptych)
Image Size: 101 x 106 cm
Dimensions: 125 x 130 x 4 cm
Signed: Signed, titled dated, and editioned 'Ed. 25 'Performer' for Alison George Baldessin 68' under image

Comes with Letter of Provenance

The work remains in its original frame and is in good condition for its age. A future custodian may wish to undertake conservation treatment—such as rebalancing the paper’s pH, giving the sheet an aqueous bath, and setting the print at a safer distance from the glass—to further preserve and enhance its longevity.

Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art's image as Excellent, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear to paper or frame. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to the paint surface.

(c) George Baldessin / Copyright Agency